Andrew Fleming Movies
A onetime childhood actor and the scion of moviemaking parents, director Andrew Fleming graduated from NYU's exclusive Tisch film school and began his Hollywood career like many upstarts, by helming exploitation material, in this case, under the aegis of Terminator and Aliens progenitor Gale Ann Hurd, with the gruesome and dour 1988 shocker Bad Dreams. This gorefest -- a thinly-disguised derivation of Wes Craven's Nightmare on Elm Street series (with the lead actress from the third installment in that franchise) concerns Cynthia (Jennifer Rubin), an unfortunate young woman who falls into the clutches of a demented cult leader, narrowly escapes being burned to death by him, and wakes up in a hospital ward only to be pursued and psychologically tortured by the psycho's evil spirit. The film did only a fraction of the business of, say, the previous year's Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, but it did earn a few favorable reviews even as it repulsed critics such as Roger Ebert.Thereafter, Fleming's career waxed extremely uneven from a critical standpoint, though his grosses remained generally favorable throughout and the projects kept rolling in. For the most part, in the projects that he scripted or co-scripted, he unveiled a propensity for a lightly satirical take on American life.
From a qualitative standpoint, Fleming did much to cement his reputation with his much different follow up to Bad Dreams, the 1994 Threesome, a critically favored Gen-X romantic comedy (which the director also scripted) about a ménage-a-trois that "accidentally" transpires in an all-male dorm when a sexy young woman named Alex (Lara Flynn Boyle) is mistaken for a young man. Fleming returned to supernatural horror -- albeit in a somewhat lighter and more satirical vein -- with the popular teen witchcraft tale The Craft (1996). Unfortunately, the satirical comedy Dick (1999) (which Fleming also co-scripted) arguably demonstrated the director's most intuitive and mature filmmaking skills and drew critical raves as one of the sleepers of the year, but failed to connect with a sizeable audience; it told a droll revisionist version of the Watergate events by reimagining the "Deep Throat" news source as two spunky teenage girls (Kirsten Dunst and Michelle Williams).
In the years that followed, studios tapped Fleming as a director-for-hire on two very different projects, both reasonably successful: the comedy remake The In-Laws (2003), starring Michael Douglas and Albert Brooks as relatives-to-be who get whisked off on a global espionage adventure, and the popular Nancy Drew (2007), one of the first big-screen cinematizations of Carolyn Keene's famous female detective. Fleming then co-wrote and directed the comedy Hamlet 2 (2008), with Steve Coogan as a high school drama professor who attempts to save his flagging theater department by mounting an onstage sequel to Shakespeare's famous tragedy. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
Steve Coogan stars in the comedy Hamlet 2, which follows a drama teacher who tries to put together a production of "Hamlet 2" to rescue his high-school theater department. Catherine Keener co-stars in the Andrew Fleming-helmed production. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Coogan, Catherine Keener, (more)
A resourceful teenage super-sleuth finds her investigative skills put to the ultimate test as director Andrew Fleming and screenwriter Tiffany Paulsen revive the character originally made famous by author Carolyn Keene. Upon leaving her quaint hometown of River Heights and arriving in Los Angeles with her father, Carson (Tate Donovan), precocious small-town teen Nancy Drew (Emma Roberts) enrolls in Hollywood High and discovers just how different life on the West Coast really is. A true original in the land where Rodeo Drive dictates what's "in" at any given moment, Nancy stands apart from the pack as much for her penny loafers as for her sincere, non-acerbic attitude and keen study skills -- all of which make the non-ironic goody two-shoes an object of scorn for fashion-conscious mean girls Inga (Daniella Monet) and Trish (Kelly Vitz). Concerns about how to fit in soon take a back seat to more pressing issues, however, when Nancy, having previously promised her worried father that she would give up sleuthing, stumbles across a series of clues that may lead her to find out what caused the death of beautiful Hollywood movie star Dehlia Draycott -- who perished years ago under particularly mysterious circumstances. Upon discovering that she and her father are currently residing in the very same mansion that Draycott once called home, the prospect of solving one of Hollywood's biggest mysteries simply proves too tantalizing for the brilliant young detective to resist. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Emma Roberts, Josh Flitter, (more)
- 2005
Formerly titled Crazy Lawyers, the weekly, 60-minute comedy drama series Head Cases got under way as Jason Payne (Chris O'Donnell), a former hotshot corporate attorney, emerged from three months' treatment at a wellness center after suffering a nervous breakdown, exacerbated by a bitter divorce. With no job prospects, the still-panicky Jason started up all over again in a private law practice, specializing in "underdog" cases. His new partner was another wellness-center "graduate," low-rent lawyer Russell Shultz (Adam Goldberg), who suffered from an embarrassing rage disorder that compelled him to punch out people without warning (and not much provocation!). In the pilot episode, Rachael Leigh Cook was introduced as Kate, another recovering neurotic whom Jason hoped to assist in readjusting to the outside world, but by the time the series proper premiered over the Fox network on September 14, 2005, Kate had been written out of the show. In her place, more or less, was Richard Kind as Lou Albertini, a mercurial paralegal who'd formerly been "employed" as a bank robber. Others in the cast were Krista Allen as Jason's ex-wife, Laurie; Jake Cherry as his eight-year-old son, Ryan; and Rockmond Dunbar as Jason and Russell's therapist, Dr. Robinson. Head Cases was created by Bill Chais, a real-life former attorney whose previous TV credits included The Practice. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chris O'Donnell, Adam Goldberg, (more)
Lots of people have misgiving about their in-laws, but in this offbeat comedy, a man discovers that his new son-in-law's father is significantly stranger than he's able to deal with. Jerry Peyser (Albert Brooks) is a well-meaning but slightly anal-retentive podiatrist who doesn't much care for surprises in his life. When his daughter Melissa (Lindsay Sloane) announces she's going to marry her boyfriend, Mark Tobias (Ryan Reynolds), Jerry figures that helping his wife plan the wedding and getting through the ceremony is as much excitement as he needs or wants. However, when Jerry and his wife, Katherine (Maria Ricossa), meet Mark's father for the first time, Steve Tobias (Michael Douglas) ends up taking Jerry on the ride of his life. Both Mark and Steve's ex-wife, Judy (Candice Bergen), seem to have a decidedly ambivalent attitude about Steve, and Jerry finds out why -- Steve is actually an undercover agent for the CIA. In the guise of doing Steve a favor, Jerry gets dragged into a strange and dangerous episode involving international arms dealers, French super-villains, heavily armed men's room attendants, and a stolen private jet belonging to Barbra Streisand, as well as several less-than-pleasant encounters with Angela (Robin Tunney), Steve's colleague in espionage who doesn't trust Jerry. The In-Laws was adapted from the memorable 1979 comedy of the same name, in which Alan Arkin and Peter Falk played the mismatched fathers. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Douglas, Albert Brooks, (more)
Darren Star, the creator and principle writer behind such series as Beverly Hills 90210, Melrose Place, and Sex and the City, offers a satiric look at his own medium in this situation comedy that offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the production of a youth-oriented prime-time soap opera. Hunter Fallow (Irene Molloy), the show's leading lady, is queen of the set and will go to any lengths to keep it that way, while Quentin King (Kohl Sudduth), her male counterpart, is a bit paranoid about his advancing age and the state of his hairline. William Ragsdale and Joely Fisher play Rob Fields and Hope Lustig, the show's producers, who have to keep their ego-driven cast happy while cranking out a show once a week. Grosse Pointe debuted on the WB network on September 22, 2000. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kyle Howard, Irene Molloy, (more)
The mystery of the 18-minute-gap in Richard Nixon's White House tapes -- and how it connects to the previously undocumented involvement of two teenage girls in the Watergate scandal -- is the subject of this political comedy. Betsy Jobs (Kirsten Dunst) and Arlene Lorenzo (Michelle Williams) are high school students and best friends living in Washington D.C. in 1972. Betsy is pretty and popular, while Arlene is cute but a bit awkward. Arlene is obsessed with singing star Bobby Sherman, but that comes to a halt when she and Betsy get lost during a school field trip to the White House. A chance encounter with Checkers the dog leads to the girls meeting President Richard M. Nixon himself (Dan Hedaya). In Nixon, Arlene sees a strong, caring man who loves his dog, and she soon develops a furious crush on the president; Betsy is puzzled but remains supportive. Arlene's devotion to the president is rewarded when she and Betsy are named official White House dog walkers; however, when Arlene and Betsy discover that Nixon has a foul mouth and a short temper and, worst of all, kicks his dog, they realize that the President is not all he appears to be. And when they overhear Nixon ranting about Bob Woodward (Will Ferrell) and Carl Bernstein (Bruce McCulloch), a pair of reporters from The Washington Post looking for dirt on the President, Arlene and Betsy decide that they're happy to help. Dick also features Dave Foley as Bob Haldeman, Harry Shearer as G. Gordon Liddy, and Ana Gasteyer as Rosemary Woods. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kirsten Dunst, Michelle Williams, (more)
After killing her mother in childbirth, growing up in San Francisco with her father and stepmother, attempting suicide, and moving to Los Angeles, Sarah (Robin Tunney) makes a brief stab at popularity at her new Catholic high school. Ostracized due to the untrue kiss-and-tell tales of football player Chris (Skeet Ulrich), Sarah reluctantly befriends a trio of self-styled outsiders: the horribly scarred Bonnie (Neve Campbell), the trailer-trash Nancy (Fairuza Balk), and Rochelle (Rachel True), a frequent victim of anti-black prejudice at the hands of Laura Lizzie (former Marcia Brady and future Mrs. Ben Stiller, Christine Taylor). After exhibiting latent telekenitic powers in front of Bonnie, Sarah learns that her three new friends have chosen her as their "fourth corner," the final member of their supernatural coven. Using tools stolen from a local incense-and-candle-filled boutique for practitioners of magic, the quartet summons the power of Manon, a primitive deity, to exact revenge on their tormentors and transform their lives. Drunk with power, they watch their spells get out of control, and the new coven soon realizes that with magic, "whatever you give comes back three-fold." This mid-'90s horror flick scored first place at the box office its opening weekend despite its then-unknown cast and modest budget. TV star Neve Campbell, who didn't even receive top billing, would go on to become the '90s answer to '70s horror queen Jamie Lee Curtis in the Scream franchise. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robin Tunney, Fairuza Balk, (more)
Well-groomed junior transfer student Eddy (Josh Charles) forges an unlikely friendship with messy party animal Stuart (Stephen Baldwin) after the two room together in an all-male dorm at a large university. When Alex (Lara Flynn Boyle) ends up in the adjoining suite because of her mannish name, all three students fall into an overheated friendship that provides cover for no less than three unrequited loves. Alex, a sexpot who's turned on by big words, falls hard for intellectual Eddy, who's actually pining away for the ripped, oversexed Stuart, who's got the hots for Alex. As the three friends try unsuccessfully to alleviate their collective sexual and romantic tension, dorm-desk workers Dick (Alexis Arquette) and Renay (Martha Gehman) become convinced that there's something kinky going on -- and they may just be right. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lara Flynn Boyle, Stephen Baldwin, (more)
- 1993
Judd Nelson is the ex-brat-packer in this particular direct-to-video gem. Befriended by a wealthy but depraved young couple (Joanna Pacula and Patrick Bauchau), Nelson joins the pair in their bizarre notions of fun and games. He thinks he knows the score, but even he isn't parade for the kinkiness of his hosts. Though much is suggested, surprisingly little happens. The suspense elements in Every Breath are in fact stronger than the film's sexual allure. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Judd Nelson, Joanna Pacula, (more)
The sole survivor of a psycho-led mass suicide awakens from a 13-year coma and begins having visions of the cult leader who was also killed in the fiery death scene. She resists his efforts to have her join him in the hereafter, and soon members from her therapy group start dropping like flies. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jennifer Rubin, Bruce Abbott, (more)
- 1975
This satire looks at a young couple from the city who search for a new life in the pure, clean, spacious countryside. ~ All Movie Guide
